A grand jury is not charging officers connected to the death of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old black man who died during an incident with Rochester Police.
The decision was announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James Tuesday, KZTV10 reports. She says "serious concerns" remain regarding policing in Rochester, New York.
“Daniel Prude was in the throes of a mental health crisis and what he needed was compassion, care, and help from trained professionals. Tragically, he received none of those things,” James said in a statement.
"We concluded that there was sufficient evidence surrounding Mr. Prude’s death to warrant presenting the case to a grand jury, and we presented the most comprehensive case possible. While I know that the Prude family, the Rochester community, and communities across the country will rightfully be devastated and disappointed, we have to respect this decision," she continued.
The death of Prude ignited protests in Rochester following the incident last March, KZTV10 reports.
The video, which wasn't released until September, shows officers apprehending Prude in an altercation, pushing his face to the ground. The officers' lawyers say they that were following their training and normal police protocol during the situation.
The county medical examiner reportedly listed the cause of death as a homicide. Seven police officers were suspended following the incident.
“The current laws on deadly force have created a system that utterly and abjectly failed Mr. Prude and so many others before him. Serious reform is needed, not only at the Rochester Police Department, but to our criminal justice system as a whole," James said.
“I will be pursuing a multifaceted approach to address the very issues that have prevented us from holding officers accountable when they improperly use deadly force," she continued.
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